A Secret That No One Expected
by serena'darien1613
Summary: Haruhi has just begun her training as a host, when something unexpected pops into her life. Now she learns a secret about her past, one that might change her forever. How will this affect the Club? And Haruhi's personal life? TxH & MxOC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the 'secret'.

AN: I have this setup to basically go through the episodes, but with the little 'secret' added in throughout. This starts with the second episode and I will skip over the episodes with the twins joining the host club (ep. 20) and the one where Kyoya and Tamaki become friends (ep. 24) Only because it really doesn't tie into the plot that I have going. I will do basic descriptions of what actually happened, but I won't copy word for word, cause that's not cool. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, I put a lot of thought and effort into it!

Chapter 1:Episode 2 part 1

It was a typical day at the Ouran High School Host Club: Kyoya was watching everyone and writing in his black notebook, Honey was enchanting the girls with his cute face and love of cute things, Mori simply watching and agreeing with everything Honey said. The twins were playing up their little twincest act and Tamaki was…. well, being Tamaki.

Haruhi sighed and turned back to the three girls in front of her. She had just started hosting the day before after she'd broken a really, _really _expensive vase and was now the Host Club's "dog" until the debt was paid off. She'd hoped she'd just be running errands, but no. After her glasses had been removed it had been noticed how attractive she was. They immediately got her a boy's uniform, which she didn't really mind; gender wasn't that big of a deal. She was pretty sure they'd all figure out she was a girl eventually. And as she predicted, they had all known, except Tamaki. He'd accidentally walked in on her changing after a pot of water had been spilled on her, when Ayanokoji had made it look like Haruhi had attacked her, thanks to her jealousy. She just didn't understand some people. Man her life was crazy and she had a feeling it wasn't going to calm down anytime soon.

"Umm, Haruhi?" one of the girls asked.

"Hmm?"

"Aren't you going to wear an outfit like the other boys?"

"Oh yes, I'd like to see that." said one of the others.

Haruhi waved her hands in a "no way" fashion.

"N-no, I don't think it's all the appropriate to wear anything but spring attire during the spring."

"Wow, Haruhi, you sure are dedicated to the different seasons."

As they laughed and chatted on, a girl with short brown hair approached their little group.

"I apologize for interrupting, but I believe it's time for the hosts to switch clients." Haruhi turned to look at her newest client.

"Oh I'm sorry, you must be my next appointment. Miss…..?"

"Kanako. Kanako Kasugazaki. And _you_ are even cuter than I imagined." Putting her hand under Haruhi's chin she said, " I've decided that you're going to be my new favorite host, Haruhi."

-Later after the club had closed-

Tamaki sat in a corner by himself sucking down some ramen. Exasperated the twins turned to him and said, "Hey stop heating that commoners ramen and get over and help with the party plans. Does it bother you that much that Princess Kasuga likes Haruhi?"

"He has no reason to be surprised. She's been sick for a while now, hasn't she?" Kyoya asked.

Concerned, Haruhi asked, "What illness?"

The twin jumped in saying, "She's got the host hopping disease. Aka: the 'never-the-same-boy-twice' disease."

"Most guest pick a favorite and visit them regularly. However, Kanako tends to change favorites… On a regular basis."

"That's right, cause before she chose you, she was with Tama-chan." Honey added. Haruhi narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, so he's upset because I 'stole' her?" she asked.

"SHUT UP!" Tamaki shouted, appearing in front of her. "I couldn't care less! Ugh, I'm almost out of patience with you, Haruhi! It's time for you to start dressing like a girl!"

"What?" asked the brunette.

"I don't understand how your so popular with the girls, when you yourself are a girl! Nobody even knows the truth, except for those of us here!"

"It's true, she opted out of gym class and the attendance records are all mixed together so no one can tell." chimed the twins.

Tamaki ran and grabbed a treasure chest, hauling it into the middle of the room.

"I've had enough Haruhi. Now listen to daddy! I want you to go back to the way you were!"

A vein throbbed on Haruhi's head. "**Don't go pulling out my pictures without asking me first**!"

"The more I look at this photo, the more amazed I am. How does this," Kaoru pointed at the middle school picture of Haruhi, "Become that?" he asked, implying Haruhi's rumpled look she had before the change of style. They all gave her questioning stares.

"Well just before school started, a neighborhood kid got some gum in my hair. It's hard to get gum out of long hair, so I just cut it all off. I don't care if I look like a dude." Haruhi said. Tamaki gritted his teeth exaggeratingly.

"A lady should never refer to herself as a dude! MAMA! Haruhi's using those dirty boy words!"

"Who's 'Mama'? asked Hikaru.

"Based on club position, I'm assuming it's me." Kyoya replied. Irritated Haruhi turned to the now crying Tamaki and said, "Look I'm not sure why your crying, but I can work off my debt as a host a lot faster than if I was just your errand guy."

"Hate to change the subject, but do you have any formal dancing experience? You'll need it for the party." Kaoru asked.

"Uhh no, but that has nothing to do with me right? I'm not really good with those sorts of things, so can I be excused?" Haruhi stuttered. Tamaki's eyes glinted.

"Most certainly not. A refined gentleman must know how to dance. Haruhi, I order you to master the waltz in one week and demonstrate for us at the party. If you fail, I will tell the whole school the truth and knock you back down to errand boy!"

Kyoya cleared his throat, glancing at the far wall where he was sure he saw something. "Hate to change the subject again, but I believe we have company."

"Huh?" All the hosts looked to where Kyoya gestured and noticed a figure standing behind a pillar.

"Hey who's that?" Honey asked. The figure stepped out from behind the pillar. It was a girl, relatively short, waist-length black hair, semi-tan skin, and brown eyes. Haruhi blinked, studying the girl. 'She looks so familiar. I wonder if we've met before?'

Tamaki, putting on his 'princely' act strode over to the girl and took her hand.

"Hello princess, can we help you?" he asked.

"Yes. My name is Rose Scarborough, and I'm looking for my sister-"

"Well as you can see we are all male here. But maybe we can help you find her?" Kyoya said.

"No, I know she's here. When I asked for her name they sent me up here, Music Room 3." the girl, Rose, stated.

"Well, tell us her name." Tamaki smiled at her. There was a long pause.

"Haruhi. Haruhi Fujioka."

Silence filled the room. All eyes turned to Haruhi. The twins were the first to speak.

"Haruhi, I thought you were an only child? Is she just joking? Do you know her?" they asked. Rose stared at Haruhi, then smiled and ran to the other girl. She practically tackled her in a giant hug.

"Haruhi! I'm so glad I found you! It was so hard for me to get the information, but I finally found this school and-"

"Wait, wait, wait." Haruhi interrupted. Rose stopped talking and let go.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Aren't you glad to see me?" her eyes were shining with tears.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry. I just think you have the wrong person. I'm an only child. And my mother died ten years ago. I don't think I'm who your looking for."

"There's only one way to find out." Kyoya said. Everyone turned to him. His glasses glinted as he straightened them. "Listen to her story and then we'll ask questions. That should tell us whether your lying or simply have the wrong person."

"And if she's not lying or has the right person?" Tamaki asked. Kyoya smiled.

"Well I'm sure that's fairly obvious. It means Haruhi has a sister." he nodded to Rose. "Alright then. Tell us what happened." Rose cleared her throat and began.

"Well, about 6 weeks ago, I found a picture of some guy in my moms room. Curious I asked her about him and she avoided the question. She managed to evade the subject for about 3 weeks before I finally got her to tell me who he was. It turns out he was my father. Ryoji Fujioka." Rose paused and Haruhi's eyes went wide. 'She could be lying.' she reminded herself. But she had a strong feeling that she wasn't. Kyoya nodded at her. "Go on." Rose took a deep breath and continued.

"She told me about how they met while she was visiting Japan. They began dating and he got her pregnant, but then left her for another woman he'd met just before. He saw both relationships as flings, but ended up falling in love with the other woman. He politely explained to my mom and that was that. She left back to America, had me and moved on. I always knew that my dad had hurt her, but I didn't know about Haruhi until later. She told me he sent her a letter of apology and asking how I was. He also told her about Haruhi, who is a month older than me, and how he hoped there were no hard feelings and that Haruhi and I would get to at least write to each other. Mom never replied. However, after I found out, I had to come meet you, a week later, here I am." Rose concluded. The hosts were all shocked. Well, except Kyoya and Mori, it seemed. Honey launched himself at Rose.

"That's so sweet of you to come all this way, just to see Haruhi!" he said hugging her. Rose blinked, then smiled and patted him on the head, looking a little uneasy.

"Well that's quite a story you have there, Rose. One question though: How is Haruhi older than you?" Kyoya asked. Rose thought a moment.

"Well, from what mom told me, it sounds like Haruhi's mom was pregnant before my mom. Either tat or one of us was born late or early." Kyoya looked at Haruhi for confirmation.

"I was born about two weeks early." she admitted. Tamaki gasped.

"So it's true!" he said. Kyoya shook his head.

"Not necessarily. I'll have some of the private police run a background check and see what they can find." he walked a few feet away, talking rapidly on his cell. Meanwhile the twins turned Rose so she was standing side by side with Haruhi, and studied them. They were about the same height, with Rose being only an inch shorter. The only thing that really took them back was the eye color. They were the same shade of brown.

"Haruhi," Kaoru asked. "Do you have a picture of your dad with you?" Rummaging through her pockets Haruhi pulled out a photo of Ryoji. The twins studied the picture, then the girls. Tamaki peered over their shoulders. At the same time they looked up at the two girls and said,

"It's a match. You both have his eyes." Tamaki snatched the photo and squinted at Haruhi's face, moving closer. When he was done, he moved on to Rose, who was clearly uncomfortable, and made it clear to Tamaki by taking a step back. Tamaki gave her a curious look.

"Don't worry, princess. I won't hurt you." he said soothingly. Rose just shook her head.

"Sorry, but I don't even know your name." she stated, bluntly. Tamaki dramatically slapped himself in the forehead.

"How impolite of me! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Tamaki Suoh. These are the twins, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. Over there is Mitsukuni Haninozuka; 'Honey' for short. And his faithful side-kick, Takashi Morinozuka, or just 'Mori'. And last is Kyoya Ootori. And of course you already know Haruhi. We are Ouran High School's one and only Host Club!" Tamaki said, gesturing to each as he said their name. Rose smiled sweetly.

"It's very nice to meet you all." she said. The twins and Tamaki gasped. Startled, Rose looked at them as they gaped, open-mouthed, at her.

"What?" she asked. "Did I say something-" Before she could get the sentence out the twins and Tamaki were all cuddling and cooing at her.

"She has the natural smile, just like Haruhi-" Hikaru began

"So they must be sisters." Kaoru finished. Tamaki was delighted.

"Ahh, my sweet, sweet Rose! Your destined to join the finest!" he said patting her head. Rose squirmed a bit. She looked at Haruhi pleadingly. Haruhi felt pity for the girl and turned to Mori.

"Mori-sempai can you-" she started to ask, but Mori was already in front of them, pulling Rose out of the awkward dog pile. He set her down next to Haruhi. Rose thanked him and he grunted. Before Tamaki and the twins could attack again, Kyoya came back.

"Well, what's the news?" Tamaki demanded. "What did they find?" Kyoya took out his little black notebook and began reading what his intellect had gathered.

"Rose Scarborough, 15 years old, born March 16. She was born in America, but is classified as half Japanese. She excels in her studies, but is mostly into novel writing and music. She can play the guitar and piano, and has a remarkable singing voice. She transferred her records over to Ouran High School about a week ago." Kyoya paused here and looked up, obviously holding something back. They were all silent until Haruhi couldn't stand it anymore.

"Well, what is it?" she asked. Kyoya looked at the notebook and said,

"At DNA test was ran. Her mother is Jamie Scarborough. And her father is…" he paused.

"Yes?" they were all leaning forward, knowing the answer, but wanting to hear it said out loud.

"Her father is Ryoji Fujioka." he turned to Haruhi. There was a stunned silence.

"It looks like you have a sister."

AN: DUN, DUN, DUN! Ah the suspense. How I love it. Anyway that is the 'secret' I was referring to above. This is just the beginning. I have so many plans for this fic, it's gonna go far! Well….. Unless you guys hate it… Then I'll just give up on life. But until then I shall work diligently! It's summer and I have plenty of free time! So R&R, and please, feel free to ask questions. I sort of have the smallest tendency to not make details super clear in my stories. So if you don't understand something, feel free to ask. I would much rather explain something than have my readers not understand what I'm writing. Peace out!,

Serena'Darien1613


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Rose. All music belongs to their producers.

Chapter 2: Episode 2 part 2

It was the day after Haruhi had learned about her half sister. She had woken up, expecting it to all be a dream. Nope. When she had arrived at music room #3 Rose had been waiting with the twins. It had been decided the night before that Rose would stay at the Hitachiin residence, much to Tamaki's dismay.

-_Flashback_-

"So, now that you've found Haruhi, what's your plan, Rose?" inquired the twins.

The girl looked thoughtful. "Well, I already told my mom that I would stay here in Japan at least until the school year's over. Then we'll talk things over. But we both decided that moving so much in one year wasn't good for my education," she said.

"Where do you plan on staying? I know you can't have a lot of money with you." Kyoya asked.

Rose looked surprised, "How do you know how much money I have?" she asked.

Kyoya smiled faintly. "My police force informed me of your entire history. So I know any offenses you may have committed, any jobs you, or your mother, have had, and basically anything else you can think of," he said smugly.

Rose narrowed her eyes a bit. "What job does my mom currently have and what job did I have last?" she asked.

Studying his book, Kyoya skimmed a page, stopping midway through. "Your mother is currently working part time at an American store known as 'Wal-Mart' and part time at an Italian restaurant called 'Olive Garden'. Your only jobs are babysitting and singing part time at a small facility where they accept underage musicians." He looked up. "Answer your question?"

Blinking, Rose took a small step back. "Alright, that's pretty creepy."

"That's how I know that you currently are very low on cash. In fact, I bet you don't have even enough to stay at run-down shack, do you?" Kyoya asked, raising an eyebrow. Rose shook her head.

"That's what I thought. Now again I ask, 'Where do you plan on staying?'"

Rose thought for a moment. "Well when you put it that way I guess I don't know," she said, laughing.

Tamaki looked at her in disbelief. Taking four steps, he reached her and took her hand. "My dear girl, you did not tell me! I will help you with your problem. Why it's like Cinderella! You're a poor girl, in need of the help and love of the handsome prince! Ahhh, how lovely!" he sighed.

Rose looked at her hand in his, then at Haruhi. "Is he always like this?" she asked. Haruhi rolled her eyes and nodded. Turning back to Tamaki, Rose said, "Well I'm thankful for your offer, but I couldn't just stay there and not do anything to pay you back. I don't have any money. And there's probably not much that I could give you that you don't already have, anyway. I'm sorry, I just can't do that."

Honey's eyes widened and he said, "Wow, she really is your sister, Haru-chan! She doesn't like to not pay people back either!"

Hikaru smiled evilly, and looked at his brother. Kaoru did the same and said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Hikaru nodded and they both sidled up next to Rose, each putting one elbow on her shoulder and using the other hand to take one of hers, thereby pushing Tamaki out of the picture.

"We have a proposition for you." said Kaoru.

"A proposition?" Rose asked curiously.

Kaoru nodded and Hikaru continued with, "We will allow you to stay with us on two conditions." he paused, waiting for her reaction.

"Go on," she said. The twins flashed each other a triumphant smile. Tamaki noticed immediately and tried to step in.

"Oh no you don't!" Tamaki shouted, interrupting. "I know exactly what you scheming twins are doing and I'm going to stop you. I won't let you use this innocent little Rose for your evil purposes!" Turning to Rose he lowered his voice, and looked at the twins suspiciously from the corner of his eye. "You know, Rose these twins are very shady. You shouldn't trust them," he said quickly. Rose gave him a strange look.

"Then why did you let them into your club?" she asked. Tamaki was stunned. Before he could come up with an answer, the twins continued talking, once again pushing Tamaki out the way.

"1. Join the Host Club. It would be a great way for you to see Haruhi, and we can count it as repayment for letting you stay with us," they said, smiling.

Rose's eyes shone with delight. "Really?! That's great! Oh, but what's the other one? You said there were two."

Kaoru cleared his throat and said, "Well, Kyoya here has mentioned several times that you sing and play instruments-"

"-And we like American music-" said Hikaru.

Together they finished with, "-So we want you to sing us your 'American' songs whenever we want to hear them."

Rose looked at one twin, then the other. "So all I have to do," she began, somewhat suspicious. "Is join your Host Club, and sing whenever you want me to? That's it?" she asked. They nodded in unison. Her eyes lit up. "Then absolutely!" she said happily. Tamaki looked crestfallen.

Kyoya spoke up here. "One thing you must know; Haruhi is posing as a boy, and all the students here, excluding those in this room, think she is a he. So in public, you must refer to Haruhi as your brother."

Rose looked at her 'brother' questioningly. Haruhi shrugged. "It's a long story." she said.

And that's what happened. They all departed, the twins interrogating Rose about her favorite bands and music types, Tamaki slinking off, disappointed. Mori and Honey left after Honey gave Rose another hug and Kyoya studied all their actions while still writing in his book. Now Haruhi was learning to dance by none other than Kanako. As her new favorite, Haruhi had suddenly found herself pushed into dance lessons.

"Why can't Rose teach me?" Haruhi had asked. "She is my sister, it only makes sense."

Kyoya straightened his glasses and said, "She has no formal dance training. You wouldn't be able to learn anything from her."

A few feet away, the said brunette glanced their way and shuddered. "It's really creepy when you do that, Kyoya." So Haruhi found herself taught by Kanako.

"Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow. There, just like that Haruhi. You're a fast learner. However you need to keep your feet together on the 'slow'. And remember, the gentleman always leads, so show some confidence," she said.

"R-right." Haruhi attempted to do what she was told and instead tripped over her feet, knocking them both to the ground. Kanako landed on her back on the floor, Haruhi kneeling over her.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Kasugazaki." Haruhi stuttered.

Kanako wrapped her arms around Haruhi's neck, pulling her closer. "It's all right, Haruhi."

"Here let me help you up," Haruhi said. As she did, the twins noticed Tamaki's sad expression.

They dragged Rose over with them and said, "What's with the long face, boss?" Slyly they looked at one another and Kaoru said, "I bet it's because he wanted to teach Haruhi how to dance."

Hikaru smirked and replied, "I bet you're right, but he's to tall to be a woman."

Haruhi smiled at Kanako and said, "Thank you for letting me practice with you."

Kanako smiled sweetly back and replied, "Oh, it's no problem. None at all. You know," she continued, "I heard that you weren't taking any customers today, just so you could practice. I'm glad I got to spend some time alone with you."

Picking up her teacup, Kanako examined it. "What a lovely tea set. Ahh, it's Ginori!" she exclaimed softly.

"You have a keen eye mademoiselle. We actually just got them yesterday."

"Ahh, what a lovely color," she said, still looking at the cup.

"You must really be into tableware," Haruhi commented.

Almost throwing the cup down Kanako said, "N-no, of course not! Where would you get that idea!?"

Just then a voice called out, "Excuse me? I've got the new teacups you ordered." a young man was standing at the door, a box reading 'Suzushima' in his hands.

Kyoya met him at the door. "Ah, yes. I must say you have a great taste. Everything you've suggested has been quite popular with our ladies."

Haruhi joined the two by the door. "Do you sell tea sets?" she asked.

"No no, I'm just a regular student. Can't you tell by the uniform?"

Kanako laughed quietly. "Oh, Haruhi, you're so funny." she said, turning to face the three. "I suppose I can't blame you for not knowing. He doesn't really look like the heir to a first class company."

Haruhi looked a little lost. At this point Rose butted in. "What kind of company?" she asked, fascinated.

"His family's business, the Suzushima Trading Company mostly works in the shipping and exporting of tableware, and they are currently ranked number 1 in the country," Kyoya reported methodically.

Haruhi stared at the box. "Wow," she said in wonder.

"That's pretty cool," said Rose. Neither noticed the look of sadness that passed over Kanako's face, or the look of regret the passed over the Suzushima boy's face when the pair looked at each other. But Tamaki did.

"So whenever something exceptionally well-made comes in I asked him to bring it by." Kyoya continued. Haruhi looked up to see Suzushima looking at Kanako.

"He has a fine eye for good tableware, don't you, Suzushima?" Kyoya asked.

The boy looked slightly embarrassed. "Really?" he asked. "I think I still have a long road ahead of me." After a bit more small talk, Suzushima took his leave. Kanako left shortly after, when Haruhi made a comment about them knowing each other pretty well. No sooner was Kanako out the door, than Honey jumped on Haruhi's back.

"They actually do know each other, Haru-chan! They're supposed to get married!"

Haruhi looked surprised. "An arranged marriage?" asked Rose.

Tamaki crossed his arms. "And just how long have you known about this, Kyoya?"

"Quite some time. It didn't have any affect on the club, so I disregarded the information. He's boring and has no presence that benefits us in any way."

"But he's a good boy, right?" asked Honey.

"Yeah." Mori replied.

Tamaki stood tall and said, "Alright men, we have to work on our strategy!" he was met first with silence then, "Which one?" they all chorused.

He continued with, "It is our job as members of the refined Ouran Host Club, to make every girl happy!" He ranted on about how they would have to do what they could to bring this pair of lovers back together. They left not to long after, each with his, or her, own part to complete for this task. Rose went home with the Hitachiin brothers like was agreed and they chattered randomly the whole ride there.

"Rose what was that place your mom works at? The restaurant?" asked Hikaru.

"You mean Olive Garden?" she said.

He nodded. "What is it like?"

The brunette thought a moment. "Well, have you ever had Italian food?" she inquired, looking at them both. They both nodded their heads 'yes'.

"That's all it is. America is a blend of cultures, and Italian is on of them. A lot of people miss their own homeland, so we have different restaurants from different cultures all over the world, like Mexico," she said.

"What about French foods?" they asked.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I don't know any off the top of my head." Before they could ask anymore, they arrived at the Hitachiin residence. Since it was only her second night, Rose was still amazed at the size of the place. The closet in the room she was living in was twice the size of her room at home. She thanked the driver then got out of the limo. Both twins looked at her lazily.

"What?" she asked, pink appearing on her cheeks.

"Why do you thank him when he drops us off? It's his job, he's being paid for it," they said.

Rose looked startled. "W-well, Mom always taught me to have manners. Even if it is that guys job, I still feel grateful." she said. The twins looked at the brunette, then at each other and shrugged. They all went into the house, and went their separate ways; Rose went to her room to drop off her school stuff and play her guitar for a while.

She set her books and bag by the end of the bed. She went into the closet where she kept her guitar and her few clothes and picked up the case lovingly. She set it on the bed and unclipped the four locks holding the case closed. She pulled out the guitar and her favorite pick. It was covered with varying shades of blue and black wave-like stripes. She held the guitar strumming a few notes, not sure what she wanted to play. Then she had it. She smiled as she began playing a familiar song.

"_Let me riddle you a ditty, it's just and itty bitty little thing on my mind, bout a boy and girl trying to take on the world, one kiss at a time. And the funny thing about it ain't a story without it, but the story is mine. And I wish you could say, that it ended just fine. We all wanna know… How it ends. Oh happily ever after; wouldn't ya know, wouldn't ya know. Oh skip to the ending, who'd like to know? I'd like to know. Author of the moment, can you tell me? Do I end up, do I end up happy?"_

-Down the hall-

Hikaru and Kaoru had been discussing their part in Tamaki's plan, when Hikaru sighed and stood up. "Look, the boss has had some crazy plans before, and this is no different than before. All we really have to do is write a love note and get Haruhi to meet with the Suzushima kid. Then we're done. It's as simple as that. Now, I'm feeling hungry, so lets go get Rose and get something to eat." He opened the door and heard a guitar. He looked back at Kaoru.

"Do you hear that?" asked Kaoru. Hikaru nodded. "It must be Rose." they said together. The started down the hall. The closer they got to her room, the more clear they heard the words.

"_-Just a boy and girl trying to take on the world and we wanna get caught. And in the middle of a very happy ending let see what we've go. Lets give it a shot, lets give it a shot."_

They stopped outside her door, listening.

"_Oh happily ever after; wouldn't ya know, wouldn't ya know. Oh skip to the ending, who'd like to know? I'd like to know. Author of the moment, can you tell me? Do I end up, do I end up happy? We all have a story to tell. Whether we whisper or yell. We all have a story, of adolescence and all it's glory, we all have a story to tell."_ She stopped and the twins pushed the door open.

-Rose's POV-

The minute Rose stopped playing the door to the room opened. She looked up to see the twins standing over her. "Umm, hi?" she said nervously.

They leaned in and said, "What other instruments do you play?"

"J-just piano, but I was learning to play the flute- Hey!" she said as Hikaru took the guitar from her. He set it against the bed, and then looked at his twin. Kaoru nodded, then flipped open his cell. While he made a call, Hikaru grabbed Rose's wrist and ran out of the room. She stumbled multiple times while trying to keep up.

"Hey, what's going on?! Let go of my wrist!" she shouted, in a semi-panicked state. Hikaru ignored her. She narrowed her eyes and planted her feet firmly on the carpeted hallway. The force of her stop jerked Hikaru back and he crashed into her, knocking them both to the floor. She landed flat on her back, Hikaru kneeling over her, one hand still holding her wrist. She pushed him off and twisted her wrist free. They both stood up brushing themselves off. Rose glared at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! If you want me to do something, just ask!" she said.

"Okay. Come down to the parlor and play something on the piano for our parents."

Rose blinked. "Are you kidding me? _That's _what you wanted? One of the conditions was that I sing for you whenever you want, all you had to do was ask-aaaiiieee!" Hikaru had grown bored with her talk. He grabbed her waist and threw the brunette over his shoulder, taking off down the stairs into the parlor. When they reached the parlor, Hikaru let her down. She glared at him and resisted the urge to slap him.

"Stop doing that!" she yelled. "Geez, I already said you just have to ask. And I would have liked to meet you parents in something other than shorts and a T-shirt." Just then Kaoru came into the room.

Hikaru turned to his brother. "Are they coming?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded, then said, "What did you do to her? I could hear her screaming from up there. And she needs her voice for Mom and Dad."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Great, I'm now a possession." Both twins loomed over her again.

"Yes, you are. As long as you stay in this house you are basically a slave to our musical whims. And our parents love a good pianist, so don't disappoint."

"I'm assuming they won't be into anything pop or country?" she asked with a sigh, picking at her hair, which was now semi- erratic, thanks to Hikaru. They both looked at her curiously.

"Pop is similar to what I was singing earlier. Country has what Americans call 'Southern Twang'," Rose said.

"Oh. Well then, no. They like classical music. Or those nursery songs, like Shenandoah, or All the Pretty Little Horses," said Kaoru.

Rose's eyes lit up. "Oh, really? Then I'm good." She went to the piano and practiced the scales she had memorized years ago. The twins watched her, then shrugged their shoulders at each other. Moments later their parents arrived.

"Mom, Dad, let us introduce you to the newest member of the Hitachiin Residence, Rose Scarborough," the twins said, bowing.

Rose stood up and bowed as well. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin. I appreciate your generosity in letting me stay here. I'll do my best to not be a bother," she said, smiling. Inside she was nervous though. She had learned the Japanese language, but had forgotten to learn how to address certain people. Especially the highly respected parents of her classmates. They looked mildly surprised. Hikaru and Kaoru intervened here.

"Rose has only just gotten here, so please excuse her lack of knowledge when it comes to her elders," began Kaoru.

"She's the little sister of the honor student we told you about, Haruhi Fujioka," said Hikaru.

"Oh, yes!" Mrs. Hitachiin said delightedly. "I remember now! Yes, yes, you told me that his little sister had traveled all the way from America just to come meet him!" she gushed. Then a confused look crossed her face. "Oh, but why did you want us to meet her so suddenly? I can't seem to remember."

Both boys smiled. "Because she plays piano." they said in unison. This got Mr. Hitachiin's attention. He turned to study the small brunette in front of him. Rose blushed at the scrutiny. He finally nodded his approval and sat down on the sofa. Mrs. Hitachiin joined him and the boys went to separate chairs. When they were all settled he said one word. "Play."

Rose sat down and played a song she had known since she was little.

"_The water is wide, I cannot get o'er. And neither have I, wings to fly. Give me a boat, that can carry two. And both shall row, my love and I. I leaned my back, up against an oak. I thought it was, a trusty tree. But first it swayed, and then it broke. So did my love, prove false to me. Oh love is handsome, and love is fine. And love is charming, when it is true. But love grows old and waxes cold. And fades away like morning dew. The water is wide, I cannot get o'er. And neither have I, wings to fly. Give me a boat, that can carry two. And both shall row, my love and I." _

She held the last 'I' for a few seconds then trailed off. She stopped playing and looked up to see Mrs. Hitachiin wiping a tear away. The twins were giving each other self satisfied looks. But it was Mr. Hitachiin who drew her attention. He simply stared at her, no expression whatsoever. Then he moved to leave.

Before he exited he paused in the doorway. Turning to look at the brunette, he said, "Well done. You may just be what we're looking for in a wife." then he left.

Mrs. Hitachiin patted Rose on the cheek saying, "You are welcome here for as long as you need, dear." Then she, too, left the room. Rose beamed proudly for a moment. Then she turned to the twins.

"What was that about?" she asked, half curious, half irritated. After all, she still didn't look that presentable.

They smiled at each other, then said, "We already told you; They like a good pianist."

Rose shook her head. "No your dad said, and I quote, 'You may just be what we're looking for in a wife.' What does he mean? I'm not getting married!" she said indignantly.

They both nodded. "Oh, he's been trying to find someone suitable for one of us to marry for ages. He needs someone with talent and skill in computers or designing, as those are our parents occupations," Kaoru said flippantly.

"You must qualify in his book, otherwise he wouldn't have said anything," Hikaru said, just as casually.

"Excuse me?" Rose squeaked. "Just because I know how to play piano-"

"And have an amazing voice," Kaoru added.

"-Means he thinks I would be a good match for either of you?" she asked, shocked. Man these people were strange! "And how would that exactly go over with my mom? Just call her up and say, 'Hey, Mom! Turns out that Haruhi's rich friend's parents want me to marry their son, so I don't know when I'll be home.'?"

"Basically. Or both of us," Hikaru said mischievously, resting an elbow on her right shoulder. Kaoru did the same on her left.

"We don't mind sharing," he purred into her ear.

Rose groaned. "What have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself out loud. The twins just smiled.

-One week later-

"Ladies, oh and a few gentlemen I see, we, the Ouran High School Host Club, would like to welcome you to the party. Enjoy your evening."

As the dance started up, all the hosts were busy. They had to carry out the plan and get Haruhi ready for her meeting. And they had to do it quickly, otherwise the guests would notice their absence. Rose's part came in here. She was to keep everyone distracted.

"How am I supposed to do that?" she had asked. The twins smiled at her. She looked at them blankly for a moment, then realized what they were implying.

"Aww, do I have too?" she whined. "There are gonna be a lot of people and I have stage fright." They just shrugged.

"Musical whims," they chorused.

Rose scowled. "Damn it. Fine, but can I at least look presentable this time?"

Now she waited for her cue. As soon as Haruhi left the room, she was to gather everyone's attention and play something. She had wanted to play her guitar, but had felt like the piano was more suited for this sort of thing. She sighed as she looked down, once again fascinated by her dress. Since she had nothing suited for this type of party, the Hitachiins had gotten their mother involved and had made her a simple yet beautiful dress.

"Anything for my future daughter in law," Mrs. Hitachiin had said at the time. They were all out of their minds; she wasn't marrying anybody! As weird as she was, Rose had to admit, the woman was an amazing designer. The dress had no sleeves, it was one of those you zip up in the back with nothing on the arms to hold it up. It was a deep crimson, and the top part was like a corset; it snugly fit her body and went on to the skirt which flared out at her hips. The top was covered in sparkles and once they reached he skirt, they slowly faded out, reminding her of a sun rising and erasing the stars. All in all, it was gorgeous and she loved it. She had remembered to take some pictures so her mom could see it when she went home.

She heard a small commotion and looked up in time to see Haruhi being pulled away by the twins. 'Guess I'm not the only one,' she thought wryly.

She watched as Kyoya went to the elegant set of stairways and asked the muscians to stop playing. When they did all the guests turned to him, curious and surprised. He smiled and began with, "My ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?" Since everyone was already looking at him, he only waited a moment before continuing.

"As many of you know, we have accepted two new members into our Host Club recently. One is Rose Scarborough, our one and only female hostess. Rose, will you join me up here, please?"

As she made her way to the stairs, Rose felt all eyes on her. The few boys were smiling happily at her, some of the girls commented on her dress and still other whispered excitedly behind their hands. She reached the 'stage' and, smiling, turned to the audience.

"Tonight, in honor of being accepted as a hostess, I have arranged a little something for you all. Most of you didn't know, but I play piano and it is my pleasure to play you something this evening." Rose said, feeling her nerves build up more and more. Everyone clapped politely. No one had noticed that all the hosts seemed to be missing. Taking a deep breath, Rose sat on the bench in front of the piano. She flexed her fingers once then took another calming breath….And she began to play. She played for a minute, then added words to the mix.

"_Pardon me for my lack of excitement, but I'm not entirely thrilled. St-t-tutter as I talk, flail around as I walk yeah the moments been killed. And I'm not good at this, no not at all. I'm not good at this." _Rose felt herself relax; playing always calmed her nerves.

"_I'm a wreck and I know it and I tend to show it every chance that I get. Butterflies in disguise, they just fly on by, yeah there're making me sick. When they don't flutter about, I'd do without. All they do is kick. Mean it, truly, sincere heart. Why do you do this to me? Tear me apart."_

-In the dressing room-

"Gentlemen, what is taking so long? Our guests are waiting and Rose can't distract them forever!" Tamaki shouted, bursting into the room.

"Don't worry, boss." said Hikaru.

"Yeah, we're positive that Rose can get them to walk off a cliff, with the way she plays." Kaoru added. Tamaki didn't look convinced. Before he could say anything, Haruhi stood up. The blonde stared then blushed furiously.

"You look so cute, Haru-chan!" Honey said happily. Haruhi looked more than irritated.

"My face feels heavy and it's hard to walk in these shoes." she grumbled.

"Good luck, Haruhi!" the twins called, as she teetered down the hall. Tamaki stared after her, his eyes watering.

"My little Haruhi looks so pretty." he squeaked, pride written all over his face.

"Alright, that's enough of that." Kyoya said standing in Tamaki's way. "Time for you to go talk to Kanako."

-Back in the ballroom-

Rose was beyond enjoying this; she was living and breathing her music.

"_It's my fault and I know it and I tend to blow it, no thanks to you. It's like you sit and you watch me, you poke and you taunt me, it's all that you do. And I'm not fighting that, no not at all. Just wanna be something, a name you call. The lips you taste just to fall… Madly in love. Mean it truly, sincere heart. Why do you do this to me? Tear me apart." _She played a few notes by themselves, then continued to her favorite part of the song.

"_I've got my eyes set on you. My heart is burning red. All of my words come out wrong, run circles in my head. You had me and I melted, in the palm of your hand. You know it, yes I felt it, you'll never understand. Mean it, truly, sincere heart. Why do you do this to me? Tear me apart." _

Here, she slowed her playing down, and sang a bit softer.

"_Mean it, truly, sincere heart. Why do you do this to me? Tear me apa-a-art."_

She stood then and curtsied, like the twins had taught her. All the guests went wild. The girls were clapping modestly and a few were dotting at their eyes. The boys just grinned and clapped. For good measurement, she blew a kiss to the crowd and smiled sweetly. They went crazy. At that precise moment, everyone but Tamaki and Haruhi appeared and Kyoya managed to get the musicians to start again. The hosts spread themselves out, and Rose was pleased to discover that all the gentlemen were waiting to dance with her. Later when the musicians were taking a break, she chatted happily with anyone who talked to her, which was mostly the boys. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Mori was watching her little cluster. 'Weird.' she thought. But then, maybe he was the type to be super protective over people he cared about, and their little sister. She shook it off and went back to her conversation.

Ten minutes later Tamaki announced the king and queen of the dance. It was Suzushima and Kanako, of course. Rose smiled. They looked so happy.

"And now it's time for the queen to receive a kiss on the cheek from our Host Clubs King." the twins said. Tamaki rested his face on his forefinger and thumb.

"Haruhi Fujioka will be standing in for Tamaki Suoh." they said to the crowd. Tamaki looked astounded. "Kyoya said that it would be good to have a little excitement at the end of the night. Haruhi looked sullen.

"I can't kiss her." she muttered.

"I'll reduce your quota by one third." said Kyoya, straightening his glasses.

"Well, it is on the cheek." she mumbled. She started towards Kanako. Tamaki watched in anguish.

"Hey, is this Haru-chan's first kiss?" Honey asked innocently.

"WHAT?!" Tamaki shouted. He ran down after Haruhi and promptly slipped on a banana peel, pushing Haruhi into Kanako, causing their lips to meet. They quickly pulled apart. Kanako looked nervously at Suzushima, who just laughed. Haruhi put a hand to her lips, unaware of Tamaki crying behind her. 'I never thought my first kiss would be with a girl.' she thought. Rose shook her head. They were all crazy. But… She had a feeling this was going to be the best year of her life.

AN: Holy crap, that took a long time to write. It took me forever to pick out that last song. Well I hope you guys liked it and tell me how awesome it was in a review. Or give me useful advice in a review. That would be awesome as well. And the songs that were used for this chapter (in order of appearance) are:

'Happily Ever After' by: He is We

'The Water is Wide' by: Unknown. (I learned it in choir.)

'Pardon Me' by: He is We

Yep, so now that I finally finished this chapter, it's time to move along to the next one! -_- Oh boy. Welp, see ya there!

-SD


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